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I chuckled. Okay, she had me there. “I think at times . . . sometimes . . . I can be empathetic.” I brought my hand to her shoulder again, trying to get her to trust me and to open up. “Try me.”
I didn’t understand why I wanted her to tell me her feelings but standing there, watching the tears in her eyes, affected me. I didn’t want to be the cause of any woman’s tears. Damn women and their tears—suckered me every single time.
She breathed in, and I watched as her chest rose with a deep inhale. “I guess the easiest way to explain it is that I feel like a little bit of history was destroyed in the fire. The Grayson family was a staple in this community, and now they, and their inn, are just”—she lifted her hands in a simple, hopeless gesture—“gone.” It was a genuine, emotional movement mirrored by the look in her eyes.
“I understand that.”
“You do?”
“I think so. Anything that’s been around and meant something is bound to stir up feelings and emotions if it’s taken away. Especially if it’s so sudden.”
She sighed. “Yeah.”
“It’s tough to lose something. Especially when it symbolizes something or means a lot to you.”
A small smile turned up at the edges of her beautiful lips. “Huh.”
“What?”
“I guess you kind of do understand.”
“See. Told ya.”
“We’ve dealt with fires before. And other things you can’t control because of good ole Mother Nature. But this? This just hits too close to home.” She visibly shuddered.
“Hey.” I took her hand. “Be thankful your property was saved, yeah?”
She looked at her hand in mine, then into my eyes. God, those eyes. They shimmered in the bright morning light, glowing with flecks of gold in a sea of mossy green and earthy brown, mirroring the beauty of the area at sunrise.
“I guess that’s the silver lining. I don’t know what I’d do. What we’d do . . . if anything happened to the winery. It’s been in our family for generations. It’s everything to us.”
“Your stamp on the community. Yeah, I get that too.”
She broke contact, taking her hand from my grasp. She chuckled, looking at me as she wiped her hands on her thigh. “Sorry, sweaty hands.”
“Right.” I hadn’t even noticed until she pointed it out. I didn’t even care. “Are you feeling better?” I asked, hoping she wasn’t going to cry again.
“Yeah. For now, I suppose.”
She started walking and I fell in step beside her.
“So, let me ask you . . .” She peeked up at me. “What exactly are your plans?”
“Well, maybe some coffee and breakfast back at my place.” I smirked at her.
She laughed. “No, thanks, Casanova. I’ve already got plans.”
I feigned shock and brought my hand to my heart. “That hurts. And after I joined you for a morning run?”
“Oh, please!” She pushed me playfully. “You joined me of your own choosing. I didn’t invite you.”
I inhaled sharply. “You wound me again.” I chuckled. “Can’t a guy catch a break?”
“You? Nope.” She considered her words a moment. “Maybe I can give you a break this once.”
My ears perked up. “Really?”
“Yeah. Agree not to build your stupid hotel first.”
